Since December of last year, “protection seekers” have been sheltered in the first Federal Processing Asylum Center in Thun in the Swiss canton of Bern. A Thun brigade of do-gooders put forth great effort and two tank hangars were converted into living facilities. The dignitaries were most happy, as the Berner Zeitung newspaper exulted in due course. “I am impressed that in the few days since the information event of last week a complete infrastructure has been set up for a federal asylum center,” gushed security chief Peter Siegenthaler (SP) who along with city president Raphael Lanz (SVP) and a team for asylum coordination and administration examined the facility for a good two hours. The premises were clearly separated from each other and from empty tank hangars habitable homes were created.
But the “civilian society” became active, an “artist” and his wife got involved and called the group “Thun4Refugees” to life:
They also called on interested parties on their Facebook group page to give the asylum seekers beverages and sweets at the entrance of the center on Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – and on Saturday from 2 p.m. ‘Solidary Thun, show yourself!’, could be read, for example, or: ‘Bring along tea, coffee and cake.’ […]
The group also suggests to interested individuals that they go through the city up to the armory by bike or on foot wearing perhaps a ‘Refugee Welcome’ pullover and armed with a banner.
They are to be given a hearty welcome, and the signal is to be given at initiation of contact that they want to create “opportunities outside the center.” That was in December 2015. At the beginning of January already, the police had to diffuse violent excesses in the shelter that are for us an everyday affair. As usual, the mass brawls broke out during the distribution of food. Nigerians and Afghanis produced their own private war-like conflict. The do-gooder belief in the culture of welcome, however, didn’t cause any interruption of this.
Everything was so nice, diverse and peace, joy, welcome cake. Now when three of the inhabitants during this time wanted to get a closer look at the “opportunities outside the center,” they happened to turn up at a police check because they “attracted attention through their behavior.” To let oneself be checked may appear to be a contradiction of the present welcoming culture in Thun to them, in any case they showed a clear disinclination toward the Swiss culture of law and order which was new for them.
Three residents of the Thun Federal Asylum Center drew police attention Tuesday afternoon on the basis of their behavior. When a patrol wanted to check the men in Bälliz, they got physical against the law enforcers.
The attackers, a 26-year-old from Senegal, a 23-year-old from Chad and an 18-year-old from Sierra Leone, put up an aggressive fight against the personal check. ‘Only when they were handcuffed did they quit resisting,’ City Director of Security Peter Siegenthaler told 20 Minutes.
So much tea, coffee and cake was offered, and now this. Artist “Gartentor” reacted in disappointment; it was expected that everyone who came would be thankful for the nice tea and sweets and for the beautiful welcome greeting on the pullovers. And now this all out in the open. The artist laments:
‘This behavior is inexcusable,’ said also ‘Thun for Refugees’ member Heinrich Gartentor. The three men knew exactly what they were risking. Thus, this was also unfair for the other asylum seekers sheltered in Thun: ‘This behavior casts a skewed light on all.’ At the weekly meeting with now more than 100 men from all over the world, they were always friendly, pleasant and thankful.
But in spite of the fact that they were all so friendly and thankful and that the three detainees are of course only isolated cases or exceptions, an uneasy feeling must have crept over the the security director that those who were welcomed could perhaps have had other ideas of coexistence, in spite of the cake. In any case, he instructed the managers of the Federal Asylum Center to make an issue of the incident:
They are to inform the residents and bring them to sensibility once again. It must be made clear to them that such behavior is unacceptable and what consequences it has,’ said Siegentaler.
Perhaps “the men” would have more understanding for the consequences if in the future the Thun law enforcers would wear Refugee Welcome pullovers instead of police uniforms.
Original on PI-German translated by Anders Denken